First steps
by Soulia17
Summary: I m going to post oneshots about Kensi and Deeks about first steps ... but before you think of tiny Ninja turtle assasins, believe me, there are a lot of first steps to take :) The first oneshot is about first steps in the snow and a new friend for Monty. Enjoy
1. First steps in the snow

Deeks opened the car door the moment Kensi had brought the car to a stop in front of the small cabin they were going to stay in for the next few days. He went around the car and opened the trunk so Monty could jump out and stretch his legs after the drive. Kensi came around as well and stood next to Deeks looking inside the car and then up to Deeks.

"Do you think he´s getting out there on his own?" she asked a bit nervous and excited as well.

"No worries, Monty had been the same when he saw and smelled snow for the first time. Believe me, Zuma will be absolutely fine. Just give him a moment," Deeks answered and started to get their bags out of their car.

He was smiling all the time because since they had gotten Zuma from the animal shelter in LA she had been behaving like a recent mom, following Zuma around and taking care that he was never out of her sight for too long. It was actually cute to watch Kensi like this, but he was wise enough to not mention anything to her, because she would probably shoot with daggers coming from her eyes.

_They had been together now for a few month and everything was absolutely perfect. Yes, they had tiny fights or disagreements here and there but overall nothing had really changed between them, only Deeks was allowed to kiss and hug her almost whenever he wanted to. Of course while working they were both professionals and kept their heads in the game, but Sam and Callen had complained that their shared looks had changed. Deeks was sure they were just jealous about Kensi and him being able to communicate whole conversations without an actual word spoken. _

_So after Kensi had more or less moved in with Deeks she had started to talk about getting another dog as a companion for Monty because she had felt a bit sorry for him lying on his dog bed on his own while she and Deeks were cuddling on the sofa. He had been absolutely surprised by her thoughts but had offered to go to an animal shelter with Monty and her looking for a companion for his beloved mutt. _

"_Are you sure you´re okay with us getting another dog?" Kensi had asked still unsure if Deeks was really okay with it or just being nice to her. _

"_Absolutely. I guess Monty is going to be a great big brother and some company would be really good for him," was all he had said before they had entered the shelter and went looking for another dog. _

_In the end it had been an easy choice because Monty had made the decision for them, stopping in front of one of the cages and there hadn´t been any chance to get him away from this particular cage. Inside had been a puddle of dark brown fur, one upright ear and one dangling and two big brown eyes looking up at them, the head cocked slightly to one side. It was love at first sight for all of them and the same night Zuma and Monty had slept in Deeks apartment, snuggled up to each other and looking more than happy. The name was another easy thing in this whole OP. Deeks had been looking from Monty to Zuma and back and then announced that his name would be Zuma – which made them now parents to Monte(y)zuma – and Kensi had just smiled and nodded. _

Right now Kensi was still standing in front of the trunk of her car, looking at Zuma trying to lure him out of the trunk. But so far Zuma was still sitting there looking from Kensi to the snow on the ground and then back at Kensi. Deeks knew that it would take just a few moments, before Zuma would finally get tired of sitting in the car while his best friend Monty was already running around and sniffing the trees.

Deeks carried their bags inside the cabin, Monty following him and looking around before he went back outside to look for Zuma. He was just about to drop their bags on the bed when he heard Kensi call for him.

"DEEKS!" Kensi nearly screamed and a moment later Deeks was outside again, reaching for his gun just to be reminded by his empty back that he was off duty. Then he saw why Kensi had called for him - Zuma had finally gotten out of the car and was standing next to Monty, all four paws pressed to the ground and not moving at all. Deeks started laughing and came over to Kensi and Zuma, giving Monty a pat on his head before leaning down to Zuma.

"Hey little man, don´t be so afraid. It´s just snow," he said to the dog while pushing him slightly so he had to move and test the slippery underground.

"Don´t push him too hard Deeks, he might get scared," Kensi chipped in, but the next moment Zuma started to move and Monty nudged him with his nose as if to tell him that it was fine.

Ten minutes later Deeks and Kensi were standing on the small porch to their cabin and watched Zuma and Monty playing in the snow, clearly enjoying their life. Deeks pulled Kensi closer and placed a kiss on top of her head, enjoying his life with her by his side as well.

"See? I told you, everything would be fine. And you're the best dog mom ever, believe me," he squeezed her hand placed on her stomach and he couldn´t be any happier.


	2. First steps after a long time

Kensi woke up in a hospital bed and looked around to find Deeks sitting next to her in one of those not really comfortable looking chairs asleep. She had just taken a short nap after lunch, but obviously Deeks had been tired as well. This hospital room has become her home now after nearly 4 months in it and she would probably hug everyone the day she was finally allowed to leave this room and the hospital. But she could call herself a lucky one cause that day 14 weeks ago could have gone wrong in so many ways with her ending a few floors lower and a lot less breathing.

_They had been on their way to check the hideout of a suspect, a violent suspect with connections to weapon trading groups and quite some knowledge about weapons himself. Sam and Callen had already been at the hide out and had been waiting for Deeks and Kensi as back up, because the area they had to cover had been massive and a lot of places to hide. So they had separated at the front gate, Kensi and Deeks taking the left and Callen and Sam the right, slowly moving through the warehouse with lots of old stuff in there. The only communication had been signs and looks, but no actual word with no one really knowing if the suspect had been around or not. _

_In the end everything had happened quite quickly and neither Callen and Sam nor Deeks and Kensi knew where the suspect had come from, but he had been standing in front of Sam and Callen pointing a gun at them, telling them to lower their weapons and throw those on the ground. Both had started to lower their weapons when they had seen Kensi and Deeks approach from behind the suspect and had started to talk to the man. In the end a damn bird had made the suspect aware of Kensi and Deeks and he had turned and fired at them, not hitting any vital part of Kensi or Deeks, but Kensi had gone down after shooting the suspect straight in the chest, bleeding heavily from her leg. _

_Callen and Sam had secured the suspect and gave Deeks the sign that he was dead, before he approached Kensi and put his gun away to look at her injury. What had been unusual and had Deeks rushing to Kensi´s side was her staying down and clutching her knee whilst trying to stay as calm as possible. Deeks had knelt down next to Kensi and the look on her face had told him more than one look at her injured leg – she had been in a lot of pain and it was serious. _

_By the time the paramedics had arrived Kensi had barely been conscious and Deeks had been trying to make her talk to him, while Sam and Callen had done their best to make the bleeding stop. The way Kensi´s face had gotten whiter and whiter had been the next concerning thing for Deeks, because Kensi had always been a woman with a beautiful dark color to her skin. The paramedics had sent them all out of their way so they could attend Kensi´s injury and had finally lifted her on the stretcher and in the ambulance, when she had called for Deeks and he had stepped in the back of the ambulance to sit next to her. _

_Sam and Callen had signaled him that they would be driving behind the ambulance and meet him at the hospital, explaining everything to Hetty and the rest of the team on their way. Of course Hetty, Nell and Eric had been listening in over their Com´s, but none of them had been able to get all the information from the chaos after the shooting and those so despised words "Agent down, Kensi had been shot but she is not dead!". So Callen and Sam had filled them in during the short drive to the hospital and in the end the whole team had shown up just 45 minutes later, just to find a pacing Deeks with hands still covered in Kensi´s blood and Sam and Callen standing in front of the door through which the doctors had disappeared with Kensi on the stretcher. _

_Hetty had tried to talk to Deeks, but he had been unable to form a complete sentence and Nell had been the one to gently pull him to a restroom and get the blood off of his hands. Meanwhile the two senior agents had talked to Hetty. _

"_It was a damn pigeon setting off because one of us had flushed it and the suspect had been fast and fired one shot! A damn pigeon! Can you believe it?" Callen had asked Hetty looking at her with fury and concern written all over his face and his hands raised in disbelief. _

"_Agent Callen, sometimes little things can cause great harm, but none of this had been your fault or Agent Hanna´s or Mr. Deeks´ or Agent Blye´s. Or had anyone of you seen the bird while approaching the victim?" she had asked while looking from Sam to Callen and then answered her own question. "That´s what I thought. The doctors are doing their best to help Agent Blye and we can just wait and hope that she will be okay. But we all know that Agent Blye is a tough woman and she wouldn´t want any of you to complain about what had happened. All she would ask is if the victim is dead and that we can confirm." _

_With those words she had nodded towards Callen and Sam and sat down on one of the uncomfortable chairs lined up in the hallway. _

_What had seemed like a lifetime later a nurse had emerged from those doors and had looked around confronted with 6 people staring at her and obviously waiting for her to say something. She had cleared her throat and looked down on her chart to find the information she had been looking for. _

"_Miss Lang?" Hetty had nodded at the young nurse. "You are listed as the emergency contact for Miss Blye, so I would like to talk to you for a minute," and she had been about to turn around and show Hetty to another room when Hetty had gotten up from her chair and explained to the nurse that the people in the hallway were all coworkers and friends and therefore family of Miss Blye, so that they could speak in front of all of them. Deeks had looked at Hetty with a sigh of relief, because even though his hands weren´t covered in Kensi´s blood anymore, he had still been on edge when the nurse hadn´t started to tell what was going on with Kensi immediately. _

"_Okay, this is unusual but by the injury Miss Blye suffered I take it that she is not working as an accountant so I will just tell you how she is. Her injury is not life-threatening and she will be out of surgery in about five hours, but she won´t be able to use her left leg for quite some time. Her knee was hit and the doctors are doing everything they can to get it fixed, but there are a lot of small bones and tendons they have to sort and after that surgery her leg will be fixed in a brace. She will have to stay in the hospital for a few weeks, get physiotherapy every day as soon as the pain is gone and then slowly start walking again. But the doctor is sure that Miss Blye won´t retain any restrictions in her movement once she had the brace taken off and went through a regular physiotherapy." _

_The sighs of relief could have been heard all the way to New York even though everyone had known that it would take some convincing and maybe even some threats to get Kensi to stay in the hospital for more than one day. Deeks had stepped in front of the nurse, his hands in his pockets of his jeans so he wouldn´t grab the nurse. _

"_When can we see her?" had been all he wanted to know, but the nurse couldn´t really say. _

"_It depends on how fast the docs can fix Miss Blye´s knee, but it will definitely take another four hours of surgery. So I suggest you all try and get cleaned up and grab some coffee before you return here to sit guard for Miss Blye. If anything should happen Miss Lang will be informed as her emergency contact." Obviously she had been aware that none of them would leave the hospital or the hallway for more than just a few minutes. _

_In the end Nell had stayed with Deeks, while Sam and Callen had left to get clean close for themselves and Deeks and Hetty had driven back to OSP with Eric to sort through all the paperwork and the surveillance from the operation. _

Kensi had been told all this by Deeks the day after she got out of surgery and woke up in the exact same bed she was lying in right now with Deeks sitting in the exact same chair he was sitting in right now. As they had all anticipated so well, Kensi had been anything but happy to stay in the hospital and by the time Deeks had told her about the part with the physiotherapy and the need for her to stay in here for at least another two months, she had been furious. But in the end Deeks had convinced her by mentioning that she wouldn´t be able to work as an agent again if she wouldn´t listen exactly to what the docs and the physiotherapist told her to do.

"Hey, you´re awake again. How was your nap?" Deeks asked while stretching his arms above his head causing his shirt to reveal a tiny stretch of his well-trained stomach, which made Kensi smile.

"Oh, it was alright, but there are definitely places I would prefer to be right now instead of this hospital bed," she complained half-heartedly, knowing that this was the best way for her to get better and be able to get back to work as soon as possible.

"Oh, I always knew that you wanted me somewhere else than in a bed, that would be just so not my Kensalina," Deeks teased and grinned at her.

"Deeks," was all Kensi shot back, but since they had spent nearly every day and every night for the past 14 weeks together in the same room, there was no real force behind those words. During the first days and weeks Kensi had been angry at Deeks for being there for her and going through all the misery, because she had been one hell of patient – sarcastic, impatient and more than irritated. She was even sure that the female physiotherapist wouldn´t have come back if not for Deeks after her first session with Kensi.

But in the end Deeks stayed and now she was relieved that he had been so stubborn even with all her behavior and grumbling.

"_I swear, if this physiotherapist will tell me one more time that I´m doing fine I will grab your gun, I know you´re carrying in the back of your jeans right now, and shoot her," Kensi had said after week two of physiotherapy and just another session with the young woman who had been appointed as her therapist. Deeks had smiled at Kensi and leaned back in his chair. _

"_I don´t know what your problem is, she seems to be nice and she´s just helping you," he had answered and his gaze had moved to the door through which that young woman had left just a few minutes ago. _

"_I can´t believe it, Deeks! Really? She is – what – just 20? And you don´t have to do the same movements every single day with her touching me and holding my leg and telling me …." She had stopped right there seeing the look on Deeks face and had realized what she had just said. _

"_Hey, go on that was a really good start for a dream," he had said, chuckling at the look on Kensi´s face and before she had more time to think about shooting the woman or Deeks, he had gotten up from his chair and walked around the room for a moment, stretching his back and looking at Kensi. _

"_What are you up to tonight? Pizza, beer and some reruns of Top Model?" he had asked to get Kensi out of her murderous thoughts and in a better mood. She had huffed and rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what he was doing, but he was good at it and she had been more than happy with Pizza, beer and some reruns of Top Model. _

Their days had looked like that for the first 6 weeks, because that had been the time Kensi hadn´t been allowed to move her leg at all and so the physiotherapist had worked with her other leg and her upper body to keep her strong and flexible. Kensi knew all of this, knew they were all doing their best to keep her healthy and as best prepared as possible for the day when she would finally be allowed to use her leg again. But still it was hard for her to sit or better lie still for this long time.

So when the doctor came in one morning telling her, that they would unlock the brace so she could move her leg again, she was excited like on her first day at working for the NCIS with Callen and Sam. And of course Deeks had been by her side on this special day.

"_Good morning Miss Blye, hope you´re feeling alright? So, today is the day we are going to unlock the brace on your leg so you will be allowed to get out of your bed, but for now just in a wheelchair. From there we will be working with crutches till the time your leg is strong enough to hold your bodyweight again," the doctor hadn´t known how happy he had made Kensi that moment, but Deeks had been able to tell from the look on her face and from her death grip on his hand. _

"_Are you taking it off right now? Because I really would love to get outside and see the blue sky not just through a window," was all Kensi had said while looking at the doctor waiting for him to confirm her hopes. And she hadn´t been disappointed, because half an hour later the plaster had been off and Deeks had been pushing the wheelchair with her in it on their way outside to get some proper fresh air. As soon as they had been outside Kensi had taken a deep breath, her head slightly tilted back and her eyes closed, a view Deeks could enjoy every single day. In the end they had stayed outside for quite a while till Kensi had admitted that she was getting tired. Deeks had pushed her back inside and helped her get back in her bed. _

_Kensi had been really thankful for Deeks being there with her all the time, still not quite sure how Hetty had managed to make it possible for Deeks to stay with her all the time and not work at all. During her time in the hospital everyone from the team had shown up more than once, but none of them had stayed with her like Deeks and honestly she wouldn´t have been okay with it. She loved all of them, but her relationship with Deeks has always been something special and he was probably the only one who could keep up with her all these weeks. _

"Are you hungry after that nap? I could get us something from the cafeteria downstairs, just let me know what you want," Deeks offered leaning forwards in his chair and looking at Kensi. She was still his beautiful partner, but all these weeks had made her thinner and her face had lost a bit of its color as well. Something Deeks didn´t like at all, but they would work on all this as soon as Kensi was allowed to leave the hospital and get back to her apartment.

"No, I´m fine …. I mean okay. But didn´t the doc say earlier that he would come back and talk to me about my progress so far?" Kensi asked, worry and even some exhaustion on her face. She was exhausted – exhausted from these boring days, the daily routine which made her twitchy because as an agent she was used to switch her routine every single day, the food didn´t really help with making her more content and she wasn´t sure she could live through another rerun of Top Models.

"Shall I see if I can find him somewhere? But I guess he will be here soon, it´s already early afternoon and time for his next checkup anyway," Deeks offered but Kensi shook her head and let out a frustrated breath.

"How many weeks am I already staying in here? Or better we?" she asked, looking at the ceiling before lowering her gaze to look over at Deeks. It felt so good to have him here with her and once again she was not sure why and how exactly Deeks was still here, being his usual good natured self and not bored to death.

"14 weeks. 6 weeks immobile with brace on, another 4 weeks with your best friend the wheelchair and now 4 weeks just with crutches and lots of physio sessions. And I´m pretty sure I gained at least 7 to 8 pounds since that first day in hospital with you," he said while leaning back on his chair and rubbing his stomach, Kensi´s gaze followed his hand and she shook her head, because he still looked like he had on the first day they met. Maybe his hair was a bit different, but his body was perfectly fine – not that she would say anything like this out loud.

"I think you´re right. Those jeans had been a bit more loose at the beginning, which means you can start to work out with me as soon as I´m allowed to move more than my big toe again," she grumbled and didn´t really know why Deeks was grinning at her the way that made her stomach do funny things. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. But I like the idea of us working out together. Those are even better pictures than those of the young physiotherapist touching you ….," he trailed off when he saw the look on Kensi´s face but he was saved but the doc entering her room.

"Miss Blye, I´m sorry I let you wait for that long, but there were a few emergencies before I could finally get back to you. But I´ve got good news for you," he said while walking in the room and stopping next to her bed, his smile was honest and Deeks assumed he must have picked up on Kensi´s aversion towards hospitals.

"Really? Cause I can´t say I had a lot of those in the last few weeks!" she shot back, but Deeks reached for her hand and squeezed it, showing her that she wasn´t alone and the doc was surely the last responsible for her current state. She looked at the doc and said "I´m sorry," in a low voice.

"That´s alright. I´ve been a doctor for quite a while now and I know that most of my patients are happy to leave the hospital as fast as possible and you´re obviously no exception. So, to get you in a better mood, I am here to tell you that you´re allowed to walk without crutches from now on. Your physiotherapist confirm that your leg is strong enough and you can start to walk on your own again."

Kensi nearly jumped out of her bed if Deeks hadn´t still been holding on to her hand and the doc shot her a look of disapproval as well. "What? You said I was allowed to walk without crutches!"

"Yes, I said that, but I hadn´t finished yet. You are allowed to walk on your own, but you have to start slowly, increasing the duration of walking without crutches day by day and there will surely be no marathon in your future for the next 3 to 4 months, understand?" the doctor raised an eyebrow and waited for her to let him know that she had understood.

"Okay, I promise no marathon for me in the next 3 month. Anything else I should know?" she behaved more like a little kid right now she knew, but she couldn´t help it, her stubbornness surfacing.

"Thank you very much Doctor. I will make sure that she won´t overdo and will take it slowly," Deeks reached out and shook hands with the doctor before turning back to Kensi and shooting her a bright smile.

A moment later the doc was gone and the young physiotherapist came in, telling them that they could go outside together and see how Kensi felt. Kensi was the first up and on her crutches waiting for Deeks and the young woman to join her. Deeks walked next to her and he could nearly feel the relief radiating off of Kensi but he could absolutely understand her after those 14 weeks in hospital she was finally allowed to get control over her life back. Because lying in that bed for this long had felt like losing control to Kensi, another reason why she had felt so irritated and agitated.

And then it was time to get this control back – Kensi was standing in the park she had come to like quite a lot, Deeks was standing next to her and the physiotherapist on the other side but further away than Deeks. Pragmatic as Kensi was she just dropped those hated crutches and traded them for a lightweight cane. Carefully she put her weight evenly on both feet, straightening her legs before she reluctantly took her first step after 14 weeks.

"I´m walking Deeks! I´m finally walking again … on my own!" she stated still not entirely sure if she was dreaming or not, ignoring the fact that she was still holding the cane, but it was different from walking with those damned crutches.

"Yes you are and I know I have to start working on my stamina again, otherwise you will outrun me in just a few weeks," Deeks grinned at her and was surprised as hell, when Kensi threw herself at him, her arms going around his neck and her laugh directly next to his ear. "Thank you!" was all Kensi said while still holding Deeks close.

From there on it were just another few weeks before Kensi came back to work and everyone was more than happy to see those partners back at OPS and bickering as they had done before this horrible day at the hide out more than 5 months ago.


	3. First steps in the sand

**A/N:** And here is the next one shot in my First steps collection. Advise: Keep some handkerchiefs close by ^^ Please enjoy and any review is more than welcome, I would also love to hear ideas from you about other first steps I should write about. Thanks to **BlackBear53** this time for reading and helping, can´t wait to work with her on a Densi Story.

_Blessings Lia :) _

* * *

It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and a light breeze was coming from the ocean, cooling the air down just a bit.

But right now Kensi had only eyes for one person standing at the other end of the aisle smiling at her. Next to her Callen was looking at her giving her an encouraging smile while offering his arm to her and she took it thankfully. She had wished for her father to be here and see this day but she didn´t think he would mind Callen walking her down the aisle and Callen had gladly said yes when she had asked him, close to tears by her trust in him.

In the chairs on both sides of the aisle she could see her mom, Julia, beaming at her at the same time wiping away some tears. Next to Julia Sam and Michelle were smiling at her and on the other side Nell with Eric and even Granger had come to this little private ceremony.

At least her gaze settled on the woman who had been some kind of a mother figure to her before Julia had stepped back into her life – Henrietta Lang.

She was the one who had been more than happy to say yes, when Deeks and Kensi had asked her to do the honor of getting them married. In Hetty´s eyes, Kensi could see the pride and joy she was feeling by seeing this two tying the knot.

Kensi still felt a bit like in a dream standing here in the sand barefoot, in a plain white dress, her hair pinned up casually and a beautiful bunch of flowers in her hand. It seemed like yesterday when Deeks had asked her to become his wife, but it´s been a few weeks since that very special day.

* * *

"_Come on Kensalina, get up. You promised me to come," Deeks said, standing in the doorframe to their bedroom, a cup of coffee in his hands. _

"_Why do we have to get up this early again?" Kensi asked, referring to the time on her watch, which said 5:15 am. _

"_Because you promised to go surfing with me and you know, that the waves are best at this time of the day." _

"_Time of the day? Seriously Deeks, it´s the middle of the night and it´s Christmas aaaaand I thought you need your beauty sleep," she grumbled and tried to hide underneath her blanket. _

"_Wow, even though you pretend to be tired, that was a really long flow of words. So, come on get up and get dressed. I don´t wanna miss any of those waves," Deeks pushed her and smiled when she finally crawled out of bed. _

"_Give me your coffee!" she demanded, holding one hand out for Deeks to put his mug in it. He obeyed and leaned down to place a soft kiss on her forehead. _

"_I love you," he simply said before leaving Kensi to get their breakfast ready. _

_Half an hour later they were on their way to the beach and Kensi could feel that this day would become a really gorgeous one, no clouds in the sky and it didn´t smell like rain the least bit. They were driving in Deeks Pickup, both windows down, Monty between them and enjoying the wind on their faces. _

_Finally at the beach they both got into their wetsuits, Deeks helping Kensi and placing another kiss on her neck before zipping her up. Monty had joined them and was lying on one of their towels chewing on some treats Kensi had brought along. He knew that his parents would be gone for a while but he seemed to be enjoying these early mornings at the beach as well. _

_Deeks and Kensi grabbed their boards and made it to the water, there were just a few other early surfers, greeting them they paddled out on the ocean to catch the first wave for the day. And Kensi had to admit that the waves were really great and she enjoyed feeling the force of the water lifting her up and rushing her back to the beach. _

_Thanks to Deeks training with her as often as they were able to, she had become quite a good surfer and even though she had been so grumpy this morning, she was happy to be here right now with Deeks. _

_So after a few more waves, Deeks gestured for Kensi to follow him out on the water again, where they could sit on their boards and enjoy the view. _

"_See, this is another reason I love to get out here this early, to see the sun come up. I think this is one of the most beautiful things to watch," he exclaimed while holding on to Kensi´s board so she was right beside him. _

"_Yeah, you´re right. This is really beautiful and so much better than to watch it from the city," she had closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the first warmth from the sun on her face, knowing that Deeks was there with her. _

"_You know what would be even more beautiful?" he asked, clearing his throat. With Kensi´s eyes still closed he had pulled something from around his neck. _

"_Hm? I don´t know. Some naked girls on boards?" Kensi asked a teasing tone in her voice, because Deeks serious voice still made her a bit nervous every time he used it. Deeks chuckled and shook his head slightly, before he moved his board so he could face Kensi. _

"_No, there will never be other girls again and honestly there haven´t been any in quite a while now. Cause none of them could ever make me as happy as you do every single day. Even with your sugar addiction, your need to always drive while we´re working and your snoring, you are the best thing that stepped into my life." _

_At those words Kensi opened her eyes again looking at Deeks with a bit of concern on her face, but more because she was still not quite sure how to handle an all too serious Deeks. _

"_Deeks, are you alright? You´re kind of scaring me right now. Are you ill? Does the LAPD want you back for an longtime undercover job?" she asked nervously, trying to read in his face. _

"_I´m more than alright Kensi and I would probably be the happiest guy in the world, if you would stay in my life forever," he stumbled a bit over his words, running one hand over his face, and holding on to the thing in his other hand. "Damn it, I had planned this out so perfectly in my head , but now I seem to be unable to remember any of the words," he took a deep breath, looking at the horizon for a moment before facing Kensi again and reaching for her hand. _

"_What I´m trying to say is, that I am so happy since you kissed me last year on that rink and we put all the cards on the table. But I think I want to risk it and raise the bet by asking you if you want to marry me." _

_There, he had done it, said those words and asked the question he intended to ask just once and just the woman right in front of him. _

_Kensi looked stunned, squeezing Deeks hand to let him know that she had heard his question and after just a few moments, her face broke into the biggest smile Deeks had ever seen on her face. _

"_Oh my God, that´s what this morning was all about. And yes, yes I will, Deeks!" she nearly whisper shouted those words and pulled Deeks closed to her on his board to place a determined kiss on his lips. _

_When she let go of Deeks and looked in those beautiful baby blues of him, they both had to smile and Deeks slowly, carefully lifted that necklace over Kensi´s head, with a beautiful ring chained to it. _

"_Deeks! Where had you hidden this? It´s beautiful but you could have lost it!" she wasn't sure if she should be angry or amazed by his actions._

"_It´s been around my neck since this morning and safely tucked under my wetsuit, which I suggest you should do as well," he explained while slightly tugging at the ring. _

"_But I haven´t really looked at the ring," Kensi argued, but Deeks leaned over and slipped the ring inside Kensi´s wetsuit after a bit of a struggle with these suits being quite tight. _

"_Believe me, no one is going to take that ring away from you and you can look at it the rest of your life," and his teasing voice was back, helping Kensi to regain her composure. _

_They had made it back to the beach, greeted by an impatient Monty and settled on their towels to watch the sun rise higher up and get them all warmed up again. All the while Kensi was looking at the ring, which Deeks had slipped on her finger as soon as they had gotten out of their wetsuits._

* * *

Thinking of that day right now, Kensi chuckled under her breath and Callen looked at her questioningly. She just shook her head, raised her gaze again to look straight at Deeks and then took her first steps down the aisle towards the one person that made her feel finally complete. Because he had been the missing part to her life and she couldn´t wait to be his wife after all, one and a half year after putting the cards on the table and go all in – Today, Tomorrow and the day after.


	4. First steps in new shoes

„Mr Deeks, Mrs Blye, please go downstairs to receive your undercover wardrobe. Everything is prepared so you can get ready for your next op," Hetty shooed them out of OPS. They had already been briefed by Nell and Eric for their next undercover mission. Deeks would be working in a skating park and should try to work his way into the group and gather as much information as possible. Kensi would be cashiering in a shop close by to keep an eye on potential suspects – and Deeks.

For some reason no one from the team had questioned Hetty´s decision to send Deeks in and it probably had also been the first time for Deeks to be absolutely alright with his part in this undercover op. He would be working outside, close to the beach and skating, which was something he enjoyed, quite a lot.

"Sure Hetty, we will be ready in five minutes," Kensi said as she pushed Deeks from OPS and down the stairs to the wardrobe. She smiled all the time knowing how much Deeks was looking forward to this, but he also proved how focused he was by going through the facts of the case once again.

"So, you´ll be watching me all the time? Are you sure you can stay focused whilst doing that?" Deeks teased her, a broad smile on his lips when they arrived at wardrobe.

"Not sure, I might get tired of seeing you fall down all the time, but I will keep a stack of band aids ready," Kensi shot back, laughing slightly while she got changed into a pair of denim shorts and a hot pink T-Shirt, the shoes Hetty had laid out were a pair of Keds.

For a moment she didn´t know what was wrong, but then it hit her – there was no reply from Deeks, nothing apart from silence. Something that had never happened before and was definitely untypical for Deeks, which made her instantly worry.

"Deeks? Everything alright with you?" she peeked around the tiny wall to see if Deeks was okay, but there was no movement behind the curtains, nothing at all. Slowly she opened the curtain and was surprised to see Deeks standing there, his gaze locked on the shoes on the floor. Colorful sneakers with neon laces, not that unusual for skaters but obviously something was wrong with them.

"Deeks, what´s the matter? Did Hetty get the size wrong?" she asked him, putting her hair in a high ponytail to make her outfight fitting for the job.

"Kens, I can´t wear them. No way," he shook his head, not looking up but still aware Kensi was still there.

"I got that, but why?" she looked at Deeks, waiting, but she really had no idea what his problem was.

"Have you ever seen me in shoes like this? I can deal with my "homeless stuff", work boots and loafers and of course flip-flops, but this?" he pointed at the crux of his problem, then looking up at Kensi she could see a look on his face she had never seen before. But he still had to get changed for the op.

Kensi chuckled, but stopped when Deeks raised his eyebrows in disbelief. She sighed but sobered up for him, placing a hand on his arm and giving him an encouraging smile.

"Come on, I will help you get those sneakers on and when this op is over you can burn them and I will cover for you with Hetty," she offered him and was relieved when she saw him nod and sit down so Kensi could do as promised – helping him get those offensive sneakers on.

"You´d do that for me?" he asked, surprise clear on his face.

"Of course I would, you´re my partner and I will always have your back, not matter what," she locked eyes with him and before turning to leave she ruffled his hair to get Deeks in a better mood again.

Just a few moments later and Deeks was changed, including those horrible sneakers. He smiled at Kensi when he took his first steps out of the wardrobe towards Hetty and the rest of the team to get the latest information and their Com´s.

Hetty looked both up and down, nodded and handed them their new cell phones and licenses. Hetty noted that when those two walked out of the mission and to their assignment, that there was an obvious bounce in Deeks steps and she had to thank Kensi for that.


	5. First steps towards Goodbye

**A/N:** So, this is my first really sad One Shot, if you don´t want to read about the death of one of our favorite characters, then please skip this one. If you do, then please let me know what you think, what you felt during reading it. And please, there will be more happy One Shots about Kensi and Deeks - I promise. Thanks to **Gina Callen** again for being my beta on this one, it´s so nice to be able to get your thoughts and suggestions nearly any time of the day - of course it helps living nearly in the same time zone :D Go, and read her wonderful stories - they are great.

As always, reviews are welcome and appreciated, same goes for followers and favs.  
_I don´t own any of the characters, I just had a great time with them. _

**Blessings Lia :) **

* * *

Kensi was standing in front of a door, plain steel, with a tiny window in it, through which she could see a metal table with a body on top covered a white sheet. Taking an unsteady breath she closed her eyes and leaned her head lightly against the cold door. Unable to make her feet move she stood there thinking back to this morning when everything had been so different and perfect – before her life had been crushed.

* * *

_Deeks had woken her with a sweet kiss to her forehead and one hand slowly drawing circles on her back. She loved when he did this and her smile had surely made it pretty clear to Deeks how she felt about his morning ritual. The last week had been tense and action packed, so they both enjoyed this relaxing morning, knowing they had to get to work sooner rather than later._

_By the time they had made it to work, Kensi was sure she could still feel Deeks hands on her skin and hear his sweet words in her ear, which made her smile again. But when Eric called them up to OPS, she went back to being an agent and focused on everything Eric, Nell and Hetty told them. The briefing was short but they got all the needed information and while Sam and Callen would be driving to the crime scene, Kensi and Deeks should talk to a family member of the victim, to find out as much as they could about possible enemies and threats towards his sister._

_On their way to the brother, the usual banter between them set in, something they would probably never stop and Kensi loved it. This was her way of relaxing and it grounded her through all the dark stuff they had to face nearly every day._

_They arrived at the bank where the brother of the victim worked and after flashing their badges the manager had hurried to one of the rooms in the back to get him._

_While they waited Deeks teased Kensi that she should maybe get an appointment to talk about some good investment strategies and Kensi shot back that he shouldn´t say anything because a few years ago it was him who had been happy to cancel their attendance to a meeting to learn something about investing for their future. Before they could settle their little argument the manager introduced them to their man and Kensi and Deeks turned to him, while asking for a quiet place to talk. The moment they started to follow the victim´s brother, the doors to the bank had been pushed open and three masked and armed men entered, instantly making clear that everyone should stay down and keep quiet or they would shoot. Kensi and Deeks hunched down, trying to keep their guns and badges hidden for the moment, but when an employee came up from the back of the bank talking to a customer unaware of the situation, Deeks just reacted and got up to push those two out of harm's way._

_And that had been the moment when Kensi heard the shots and she couldn´t really remember much afterwards. Deeks went down clutching his chest where there were two dark red stains on his otherwise light blue shirt. Kensi wasn´t sure how she had made it over to Deeks or if she had screamed or cried or …. There hadn´t been any kind of clear thought from that moment on, no matter how many times she had told everyone on the team, that they could both keep their personal life out of their work. Right then she had realized it was impossible._

_Everything after that had been a blur, the robbers left just a short while later with bags full of money, the LAPD arrived moments after that and with them some ambulances. A paramedic pushed her aside to attend to Deeks wounds and finally there had been the ride to the hospital with her desperately holding on to Deeks shockingly cold and limp hand._

_Immediately they had rushed Deeks in to surgery and by the time their team arrived, Kensi had gone into shock, starring at the swinging doors that lead to the operations room and her whole body was shaking. Sam had tried to talk to her, but in the end it had been Hetty who made her sit down and take a few sips of water, but Kensi remained silent. There was no way she could put into words what had just happened. A LAPD officer told the team the whole story and Kensi could feel their eyes on her but she just sat there, her eyes now focused on the floor between her feet._

_Her thoughts where tumbling around, trying to find an explanation, thinking about what would have been if they had arrived at the bank a few minutes later, or if they had been there earlier and already in one of the back rooms, so many things could´ve gone differently – but they hadn´t._

_After what felt like ages later, the doors opened and a surgeon stepped through them and came up to the group gathered around Kensi. He asked for Deeks partner, but Kensi just looked at him unable to say a word, maybe already knowing what he was about to say. So Hetty stepped up and waited for the surgeon to tell her the news on Deeks even though she had read his features the moment he walked through those doors._

_And his words confirmed her suspicion – the young LAPD liaison officer hadn´t made it through the emergency surgery._

* * *

Kensi shook her head to clear her thoughts, there were no tears left for her to cry and she knew deep down, that Deeks would be mad at her for crying so much. So after taking another deep breath she raised her eyes and put her hand on the door handle. In her head she counted to five, before finally pushing the door open to take the hardest first steps in her life. Slowly she put one foot in front of the other, getting closer and closer to the metal table – and him.

It was so hard, unfair and nothing he had ever deserved. He was – he had been so important to so many people, making everyone laugh even in the most difficult situations and no matter how often Sam and Callen had complained about it, she knew that they had been thankful as well.

With every step closer the weight on her shoulders got heavier and she really had to force herself to take that last step. There he was. He looked so relaxed and peaceful, so much like he looked – used to look, in the morning when they woke up in the arms of each other. Kensi had to smile, a tiny smile, knowing she would never ever wake up to see him smile at her again. Slowly she reached out to touch his hair, brushing it out of his eyes and she had to think about all their bantering and Sam and Callen´s comments about his "styled by pillow" hair.

She leaned a tiny bit closer, looking at his beautiful face one more time, making herself memorize every part of it, every tiny wrinkle, every hair of his scruff, even though she was sure she would never be able to forget anything about him and their shared time.

Her smile turned sadly when she leaned in to place a gentle kiss on his cold forehead. So different from her always warm Deeks. Still her lips lingered for a moment longer, her eyes closed and her forehead slightly crunched in sorrow.

When she straightened up again, she placed her hand on his cheek and looked at him one last time.

"You know, I found out about Thapa´s words, about his definition where home is and that home for him was a feeling and no longer a place. And I also know why you told me how beautiful my smile was the day Thapa, your friend, died. And you know what? Your smile will always be that feeling for me, so I will always have home – thanks to you Deeks."

Those words were spoken in a low voice, full of love and her goodbye to her partner, her best friend and the love of her life – her home.


	6. First steps on new ground

**A/N:** So, here is another part of my First Steps Collection and I can tell you, I´m really happy to finally been able to write again after what felt like a very long time. Just keep in mind that these one shots are not published in any particular order, so after the last story take a deep breath and enjoy some lovely times with Kensi and Deeks. If there are any mistakes left, they are all mine - but you can tell me through private messaging if you want to ;) - and big THANK YOU to **GCallen** for beta reading once again.  
And for all my dear readers, I promise to finish **What if** this week. The last chapter is nearly done, just a few tiny things that need to be worked on. Sorry, that I kept you waiting so long.

But now, go and enjoy!

Blessings  
Lia :)

* * *

Deeks and Kensi were on their way to work, Kensi at the steering wheel as usual and Deeks next to her, checking his phone for what felt like the hundredth time.

Kensi eyed him for a moment and raised an eyebrow at him, before looking back at the street in front of her. Thanks to their not so regular routine they drove through different part of LA every morning.

Finally Kensi couldn´t keep her mouth shut any longer and curiosity won out.

"Why have you been checking your phone like every minute for the last two days now, Deeks? Is something going on at the LAPD you haven´t told me about?" she shot him a quick look, waiting for a reaction.

"No, everything is fine, I mean quiet at the LAPD for now. Just checking the weather report, as Eric and I were hoping for some great waves at the weekend. Sorry," he answered, a cheerful tone to his voice.

Kensi mumbled something under her breath and left it at that, although she could sense that there was something else going on. But if she had learned something after five years of partnership and two years of marriage, then that Deeks would tell her soon enough and no questioning or complaining or threatening would speed things up.

Deeks looked at his phone one more time before putting it away, turning to look at Kensi while she was driving them through their city. He had a secret that he was desperate to keep – for a bit longer at least – till everything was signed and sealed. And then there was also a surprise he was working on, but hoped to be able to show it to Kensi tonight. He had been working much longer on this surprise than on the secret, hoping both would make his wife even happier than she was right now.

Ok, right now she wasn´t that happy without knowing what was going on but definitely sensing that something was going on.

When they arrived at OPS half an hour later, Kensi gave him a quick kiss on his lips before leaving the car. Something they had agreed on: no kissing inside the mission and hugs were only allowed after dangerous operations. Deeks quickly squeezed her hand, got out of the car as well and followed her inside.

Sam and Callen were already sitting at their desks, sifting through some paperwork and they just raised their eyes for a moment to greet their two coworkers.

"Good morning everyone. I hope you all had a good night's rest like Kensi and I, but I guess you hadn´t, ´cause I´ve been sleeping next to Kensi and not to you two ….," he stopped when Callen, Sam AND Kensi all looked up from their work, after he and Kensi had also sat down, and wrinkled their foreheads.

"What? Just ask Kensi how good she sleeps lying in my arms after we ….," before he could say anything more, Hetty appeared right in front of his desk and looked at him.

"Please, just go on Mr. Deeks or if you prefer, please follow me over to my desk," she was about to turn around and walk over to her little bureau when Deeks went on.

"Actually, I think ….. ," the look from Hetty made him stop and rephrase his answer, "…actually I would love to come over to your desk and have a cup of tea." And with that he walked past Kensi´s desk, shrugging at her and smiling to himself, because he knew what Hetty wanted to talk to him about. And he was so excited and couldn´t wait any longer.

As soon as he sat in front of Hetty he smiled at her and she gave him a short nod, acknowledging their shared secret.

"Well played Mr. Deeks, but you´re skills never seem to let you down in that area of your work. So shall we get to more important things, right now?" she didn´t even wait for him to answer and pulled some papers from a hidden drawer in her desk. Deeks tried to hide his nervousness and excitement, so none of the other agents behind him could sense anything. But this was actually hard work and Hetty was much better at looking as relaxed as usual while passing those important papers over to him.

He took them carefully, not lifting them up too much, because he had learned over the years that Callen and Sam would pull all the tricks to see what Deeks was holding in his hands right now. These papers had been lying in Deeks drawer for quite a while but after he had gotten married to Kensi a few things needed to be changed and Hetty had seen to that.

So this was it, the great day where he would become a proper special agent like his wife and the rest of the team as well. He was honest to himself, it felt good and strange at the same time – he had been a LAPD detective for so long, but always felt a bit as an outsider in this team not being a full agent.

After another quick read through of all the important details he took the pen from Hetty and signed with his full name – Martin A. Deeks, something he rarely did anymore. Hetty and he had talked about this day and she would keep these papers till tonight along with his new cred pack so he could collect them later and surprise Kensi with it.

"I would shake your hand and congratulate you, Mr. Deeks, but for obvious reasons I will wait until your wife is fully informed. But I can tell you that I am really pleased to have you 100% in my little team and as Kensi´s partner," she gave him another short nod and Deeks was pretty sure he could see a tiny proud smile on Hetty´s lips before she put the signed papers back in her drawer.

"Thank you Hetty, I really appreciate you keeping your promise after all this time. I won´t disappoint you, I promise," Deeks answered with all honesty and sincerity, because this was really important to him, this was his family now in every possible way.

"Well, then we can move on to the second request you had. I can absolutely see why you decided to buy that little gem close to the beach. It is beautiful and perfect for you and your future family. All the paperwork with the realtor lady is done and the keys are in the tiny drawer in your desk where you always keep some sweets for Mrs. Blye. You can collect the papers later and thank me with some special tea," while saying that Hetty actually winked at Deeks and now he had to chuckle a tiny bit. Hetty really was a fascinating lady and despite all the things that had happened she still was the closest he had to a real mother.

"Perfect, I can´t wait to show it to Kensi tonight and I can just hope she likes it as well," he exclaimed.

"Rest assured, Mr. Deeks. You know your wife pretty well and she will see all the possibilities the property holds for the two of you."

Deeks nodded at Hetty one more time and got up, feeling much better after those words from Hetty, because the realtor didn´t know him or Kensi and he hadn´t been too sure at some points about his decision.

When he sat back down at his desk, Kensi looked at him with a questioningly look on her face and Deeks had to smile. "Let me guess, you want to know what it was about, right? No, let me guess, all three of you want to know. So let me tell you, it was ….," he couldn´t finish the sentence, because Eric had appeared on the upper landing whistling for them to join him and Nell up in OPS.

The rest of the day went by with their usual kind of work: finding a suspect, talk to them, find all the important connections and finally arrest the bad guy or in this case the bad lady. By the time they were all back at their desks filling out the needed paperwork, Deeks could rarely hide his excitement.

Finally he was ready to get home with Kensi and started to pack his stuff in his bag, secretly retrieving those keys out of his drawer along with all the paperwork he needed to show Kensi later.

"My dear wifey, are you ready to get going? Your husband gets hungrier every minute and can´t wait to be alone with you," he said with a bright smile on his lips while standing in front of Kensi´s desk. Sam and Callen started laughing at Deeks´ words, although they both probably understood Deeks quite well, knowing that Michelle and Jo would be waiting for them at home.

"Can you remind again why exactly I married you, Deeks?" Kensi demanded half-heartedly while collecting her things and grabbed the car keys.

"Oh, where should I start? First thing, I´m a great cook, while you can´t even get some fried eggs ready, secondly, you fell in love with my perfect body, my baby blues and that adorable smile of mine ….," by that time Kensi had walked past him, rolling her eyes and Sam and Callen were bursting with laughter. Following Kensi after waving Goodbye to the two senior agents and Hetty, he said in a low voice only for Kensi to hear, " …. And thirdly, you know that I will always have your back, no matter what happens."

As soon as they had both left the mission, Kensi grabbed Deeks hand and placed a quick kiss on his cheek.

"The first two things actually made me fall in love with you – besides some other things – but the last thing is the one, that made me say yes when you asked me to marry you. ´Cause I had realized that you wouldn´t go anywhere even after you got to know all my secrets and some of my darker sides. I´m sorry for reacting how I did in there," she started to apologize, but Deeks carefully placed on finger on her soft lips and shook his head.

"Don´t apologize for what and who you are. I know you and I love that we still bicker and banter the way we do after all this time together. "

With a soft kiss he stopped Kensi from saying anything more, but snatched the car keys out of her hand. "But you can make up for it by letting me drive us home," he cheerfully said, telling Kensi what he was about to do without actually telling her.

"Alright, you drive but I decide what we´re going to have to dinner tonight," she shot back without hesitation and Deeks just nodded. They both got in the car and Deeks started it and drove off, stopping after five minutes of driving through LA. Kensi looked over at Deeks, waiting for an explanation.

"Do you trust me, Kensi?" he simply wanted to know and after Kensi had nodded, he got a tiny scarf from the back seat, holding it with both hands.

"Okay, I´ve got a surprise for you, but I have to blindfold you, so you can´t guess what it is before you see it," he explained, waiting for her to give him the OK. They both had been in situations where they had been blindfolded, tortured and questioned by the enemies, so he would never do anything like this without her approval.

He could see the insecurity in her eyes for a moment, before she relaxed and closed her eyes, the sign for Deeks to put the scarf over her eyes.

"I promise it´s not going to be for long, and it´s gonna be worth it," he reassured her, put the car back in drive and placed one hand on Kensi´s thigh to let her know, he was there with her.

Just 10 minutes later they stopped again, but this time Deeks killed the engine and got out of the car, got his bag from the back seat and walked around the car to help Kensi out of it.

"Okay, it´s nearly over, just a few more steps and you´re doing great," he led Kensi up the short walk to the veranda, helped her up the few steps and stopped right there.

"Where are we and what exactly are we doing here? We´re definitely not at my apartment and not at yours, cause I can hear the ocean quite clearly," Deeks smiled to himself because Kensi had just shown him why she was one of the best agents he knew by paying attention to all these tiny things. He stepped behind her, both hands at the blindfold and nearly holding his breath before he finally said: "But this can be our home!"

And with those words he pulled the blindfold away, giving Kensi the chance to take in the view, the view of their house, their new home. It was nothing big, but the way they both liked it. The house was situated nearly at the beach, had a big veranda going all around the structure and two floors. On the lower floor there was a lovely kitchen and living room with an ocean view and a guest room with a small bathroom. On the first floor there were three rooms, two bed rooms and a beautiful bathroom. Deeks already had an idea what to use the second bedroom or, but first Kensi had to say yes to move into this house with him.

Right now he couldn´t really read her mind, so he stepped in front of her and looking at her face, surprise written all over her face. With her not saying a thing he got more and more nervous and when he got nervous, he started to talk mostly nonsense.

"If you don´t like it or you think this is too fast and too soon, just let me know. I talked to the realtor and I can give back the keys and we go on like we´ve done it the last two years. I´m sorry, I should´ve asked you ….," he would have gone on like this, hadn´t Kensi stopped him with a deep kiss, that probably surprised both of them.

"Just stop Deeks and open that damn door. I can´t wait to see it from the inside. It looks perfect and you´ve done everything right," she pushed him gently towards the door, holding his free hand and waited for him to turn the key.

But when the door was finally open and she wanted to step inside, Deeks hold her back and smiled her favorite smile at her.

"Mrs. Deeks, may I?" he asked her politely, before lifting her up and carrying her over the threshold of their new home, their house. Kensi giggled like a teenager and put her arms around his neck, giving him another kiss, nodding in excitement.

"You may, Mr. Deeks." She loved it, when he called her with her new name, especially since at work she was still Agent Blye to nearly everyone to make things a bit easier – and honestly not everyone at the mission new about their new status of husband and wife. Deeks let her down in the middle of the living room, after taking the first steps into their new home with his beautiful wife in his arms. The view over the ocean was absolutely stunning and carefully placed his bag on the table, one of the only furniture already placed in the house. With one quick movement he fished those important papers out of his bag and placed them so that Kensi would see them.

"What is that, Deeks?" as if sensing that there was another important thing about to happen, she looked at him, reaching for his hand and waiting for his OK this time.

"Something I´ve been waiting for quite some time now, but now it felt like the right time and I really wanted to do it. Just go ahead and look at it," he gently pushed her over to the table and stood there waiting for her reaction as soon as she realized what those papers meant.

"You …. Did you really? I mean … you signed those papers?" she carefully wanted to know, not even sure why she´d put those words in a question. But when she saw Deeks smile and nod she threw herself at him and gave him a passionate kiss, before looking up at him.

"So, this means Special Agent Deeks and Special Agent Deeks are moving into this beautiful house together?" her teasing voice made Deeks chuckle and he gently brushed a strand of hair out of her beaming face.

"Yeah, that´s exactly what this means - at least if you say yes."

"Yes, I want to move in with you and I can´t think of a better way to start the next part of our journey together. I love you, Deeks."

"And I love you, Kensi Deeks!"


End file.
